THE LEGACY OF WORKING WITH FARMERS
We’re celebrating the legacy of our farming funds which are drawing to a close, but which we hope will stand Tyne catchment farmers in good stead to manage land in a more environmentally friendly way.
The three farming funds covering the Ouseburn, South Tyne and the Don to Derwent, worked with more than 120 farmers and landowners to look at ways to manage land in a way that would be both better for the environment and more efficient.
Members attended workshops on important issues such as soil health, water quality, manure management, habitat creation and urban pressures and were encouraged to look at how the knowledge could be applied on their own land.
The workshops spurred some fantastic results with 25% of members of the Ouseburn group applying for Countryside Stewardship grants to carry out work to reduce pollution entering the river such as reducing the amount of fertiliser used, installing muck stores, rainwater harvesting, planting trees and fencing off livestock.
Danielle Anderson-Hire, Farms Liaison Officer who headed up the farming funds says: “I’m proud of the work we have achieved with farmers and landowners to help them farm in a way that is better for our catchment.
“The knowledge they have gained can be taken forward to make improvements for many years to come.
“The Trust will continue to work with farmers and landowners on projects such as farming in a protected landscape and Prince`s Countryside Fund, Farms Resilience Programme.”
